Plaiting machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. G. OTIS.

PLAITING MACHINE. N0. 320,278. Paten dfJune 16, 1885.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet H. G. OTIS.

PLAITING MACHINE.

No. 320,278. L7l/t9Patented June 16, 1885'.

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UNITED STATES PATENI Garrett HARRISON e. Oris, OF New YORK, N. Y.

PLAITING-MACHINE.

Application tiled December 2i), 1581.

To aZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRISON G. Oris, a citizen of the United States,residing' in the city of New York, county of New York, and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in PlaitingMachines, fully described and represented in the following specificationand accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to a mechanism for producing a plaited trimminghaving one or both edges irregular in form, as curvilinear or othershaped patterns, the same being accomplished by a peculiar feedingoperation, which consists in moving the material laterally,tirst,in onedirection and then in the other, as the plaiting progresses, whereby theedges ot' the material are caused to assume an irregular contour oroutline, the exact form of which is determined by the amount andabruptness of the lateral movement of the material. One example of suchproduct is shown in` Fig. 7 of the drawings, and will be morespecifically referred to in the course of this specification.

The invent-ion consists in peculiar feeding devices and theircombinations with the plaiting mechanisms, together with constructionsof parts hereinafter specifically set forth.

A machine embodying the invention is'illus` trated in Figure 1 by a rearelevation, in Fig. 2 by a plan view, and iu Fig. 3 by a longitudinalsectional elevation. Fig. 4 is a sec' tional elevation illustrating uponan enlarged scale the plaiting and feed-controlling devices. Fig. 5 is aplan view of the feed-plate, of which Fig. 6 is a cross-sectionalelevation on the line a of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 illustrates a plan View of theproduct of the machine, the same being a plaited trimming. Fig. 8 is aseries of diagrams illustrating several patterns that may be produced bythe use of properly-shaped cams for operating the fabric-guide.

In its principal mechanisms the machine shown herein is a common form ofplaitingmachine; but in order that the improvements constituting thepresent invention may be readily understood, a description of themachine will be given at length.

As is common in this class of machines, the plaiting operation isperformed by a reciprocating tucking-blade, 2, that folds the fabricbetween two rotating surfaces. This blade,

SPECEFCATEON forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,278, dated .iT-ane16, 1885.

(No model.)

however, in addition to its horizontal reciprocation, is vibratedvertically. It is attached to a bar, 4, that is pivoted at opposite endsto arms 5 6, that are hung to swing upon t-he shaft of the cylinder 10.The arm 6 has a project-ing curved rock-arm, 7, which is connected by arod, 12` through a crank-pin, 29, with a crank-disk, 13, that is mountedupon one end ofthe main shaft 14. One end of this rod 12 is adj ustabl ysecured to the rock-arm 7 in a suitable slot by a pivot, 50, and theother end is arranged to be adjustable in a slot in the crank-disk,which arrangements are made for the purpose of varying the horizontalreci procations of the tucking-blade, and thereby regulating the extentof each plate. At the other end of this bar it is provided with aforwardly-projecting arm, 15, that rests upon the curved end of abell-crank, 16, which crank is suitably rocked by a cam, 17. on the mainshaft.

14. During each rearward movement of the tucking-blade it is raised bythis bell-crank, so as to clear it from the fabric, and prevent itsdragging over the same to distort the newlylaid plait. As thetucking-blade moves forward, it is drawn down to engage the fabric bymeans of a spring, 8, the low part of the cam 17 permitting its actionto produce that etfect. The fabric, whether of tarlatan, lisse, or othermaterial, is led over a table, 31, passed beneath the tucking-blade, andentered into the nip of the pressing-roller 11 and cylinder 10. As hereconstructed,the cylinder 10, provided with the usual heating devices, asa gas-pipe, 18, is arranged to turn loosely in its bearings, and thus berevolved with a step-like movement frictionally imparted by theprcssingroller 11. y

The pressingroller 11 has its shaft mounted in levers 19 20, which arepivoted so as to y permit said roller to be raised away from thecylinder 10 when it is required to introduce ,or remove the goods, as inthe plaiting of the ICO inder 10. A proper elastic seat-ing of thisroller 11, to permit its yielding so as to'properly press the plaitedfabric,vand its nice adjustment for that purpose, is accomplished bymeans of spring-seated boxes carried by said levers 19 20, that bearupon the upper surface of the shaft of said roller, the pressure ofwhich Springs is regulated by set-screws 48 49.

A proper step-like rotative movement is imparted to the roller ll, tocause it to appropriately feed forward the plaited fabric by means of a'ratchet-wheel, 25, mounted upon its shaft, with which ratchet-wheelengages a dog, 9, that is pivoted to a crank, 26, that swings freely onthe shaft ofthe roller,and which is properly rocked by aconnectng-rod,27, to which motion is imparted from the drivingwheel 28 through acrank-pin, 30, attached to a block which is adjustable in a dovetailgroove in the face of said wheel. It is also to be remarked that the pin29, before referred to, is

provided with the same means for adj ustingits position upon the disk13. This driving-wheel 28, which is a band-wheel, is mounted upon thelnain shaft 14, which it rotates.

By suitably adjusting the crank-pins 29 30, the throw of thetucking-blade 2 and the feed of the roller 11 will be madetosuittherdimensions of the plaiting desired to be accomplished, and t-liematerial fed between the roller 11 and the cylinder 1() will be plaitedwith a succession of folds that will produce the well-known plaitedgoods, said plaits being retained in position by the ironing action dueto thepressure between the roller and cylinder and the heating ofthelatter, or by means of a cemented the upper surface of the fabric andkeep the same smooth as it is fed onward, springs S affording thedesirable elastic pressure. This guide-plate is adjustable with respectto the cylinder 10 by means of a set-screw, 35. In this improvement thetable 3l, instead of being stationary, is rendered capable of lateralmovement, carrying with it the fabricguide, consisting of the plates 3233 34, the table being for this purpose attached by arms 36 37 to ashaft, 38, that slides in bearings in the frame-work, and which isextended at 011e side, where it is connected by a rod, 39, with a pivot,40, that is adj ustably secured in a crank-disk, 4l, at the upper end ofthe shaft 42, which is slowly turned by means of a wheel, 43, and worm44, the latter being at the end of a shaft, 45, that receives motionthrough wheels 46 47 from the main shaft 14. This crank-disk 41 impartsto the fabric guide a lateral movement, first in one direction and thenin the other,

which gives such a feed to the fabric as will produce a plaited trimmingthe edges of which are scalloped or regularly curved, as shown in Fig.7, the degree of curvature being regulated by the extent of throwimparted toy said guide bythe adjustment of the pivot 40 (more or less)from the center of the disk 41. It is apparent, however, that this disk4l performs, broadly, the function of a cam properly reciprocating thefabric-guide in a lateral direction, and therefore that aproperly-shaped cam might be substituted for said disk, said cam beingof a pattern to produce a zigzag pattern in right IOO lines, said rightlines uniting at more or less acute or obtuse angles, or atapproximately right angles, thus producing angular points at cord orother fastening applied at the time of the edge of the plaitedy fabric,or alternate io5 the formation, or both. quadrangular projections anddepressions.

4o lt ismanifestthat the goods drawn regularly This variation of patternat the edge Aof the onward over the table 31 will be laid in plaitsfabric may be made up of rightlines and curved and produce a trimmingwith even or parallel lines, according to the pattern of the cam, asedges, and this is the common mode of prowill be readily apparent, allas indicated in iro cedure. Fig. 8. A pattern-cam, therefore, is to be45 In order that the shape of the edges of the taken as the equivalentof the crank-disk 41, finished trimming may bc rendered fanciful orwhether said cam be mounted upon the shaft highly ornamental as the sameis produced, I 42, or be attached to the shaft ot' the ratchethaveprovided the machine with a laterallywheel 25 or to the main shaft. Inthe .lat-ter 115 reciprocating guide which is automatically opinstancethe form of its face would be appro- 5o erated to shift the position ofthe fabric as the priate to that of the pattern desired, and saidplaiting progresses, and thereby accomplish cam would operate toappropriately throw the the laying of the succeedi ng plaits in suchmanfeed-guide in one direction, the opposite or rener as to producecurved or other shaped bortracting movement being accomplished by a 12oders or edges, which, by the proper movement spring which is theequivalent of the outside 5 5 of said guide, may have curved forms, asscalwall of a pattern or slotted cam.

lops, or angular forms, as points, or approxi- The pattern Vproduced bythe use of the mately right-angular outlines, as the Grecian crank-disk41 is shown in Fig. 7,wherein.suc pattern. cessive plaits are laid so asto produce a pat- The machine is shown as wide enough to tern curved inits outline.

6o manipulate two separate pieces of fabric, two As thus fardescribed,the plaits are supposed s its of guides being shown. One ofthese to be laid at right angles to the length of the guides will now beparticularly described. It article; but by setting the guide at anyother consists of a base-plate, 32, to the upper side angle with respectto the axis of the tueking- 13o of which is secured a bridge-plate, 33,which together form a slotted guide, as in Fig. 6. The forward portion,34, of the bridge-plate blade the plaits'will be-laid at other angleswith respect to the longitudinal center of the material, thusmultiplying the varieties that l 33 is hinged to the latter, so as todrag upon may be produced by this invention.

In Fig. 7 the fabric is shown as having its opposite edges alike inform. This of course will result from the production ofthe pattern atone edge.

It is contemplated in practice, whether the fabric have its edgesdoubled or not, to forni a hem, either to fold the fabric in itslongitudinal center to form a doubled patterned edge, or to divide thesame longitudinally and form two narrow fabrics, each having a patternededge. None of the products, however, are claimed in this application.

By the use of this invention the most elaborate articles of ladies7dress-trimming are capable of production without enhancing the cost oftheir production beyond that of the most common trimmings made fromlisse and tarlatan and similar light fabrics.

The improved trimming herein described is not herein claimed, but formsthe subject-matter of another application for Letters Patent iiled by meon December 530, 1881, No. 409,036.

That is claimed isl. The combination, with the pressing and feedingrolls 10 11, ofthe laterally-reciprocati ng fabric-guide and thetucking-blade 2,provided with means for giving the same a horizontalreci procating movement, whereby the material is folded into the bite ofthe rolls, and a vertically-vibrating movement, whereby it is raised outof contact with the material as it is withdrawn from the rolls,substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a plaiting mechanism, of alaterally-reciprocating fabric-guide having ahinged top plate,substantially as described. g

8. The combination, with the pressingand feeding rolls l() 11 and thereciprocating tuckingblade 2, of the fabric'guide consisting of a rigidmain portion and the hinged top plate, substantially as described.,

4. The combination, with the pressing and feeding rolls l() 1l, of thelaterally-reciprocating fabric-guide, means for adjusting the extent ofits reciprocations to vary the pat' tern of the edge of the product, thetuckingblade 2, provided with means for giving the same a horizontalreciprocating movement, whereby the material is folded into the bite ofthe rolls, and a vert-ically-vibrating movement,whereby it is raised outof contact with the material as it is Withdrawn from the rolls, andmeans for adjusting the stroke of said blade to vary the width of theplait, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HARRISON G. OTIS.

Vitnesses: I

T. H. PALMER, H. T. MUNsoN.

